As a human-environment geographer and conservation social scientist, I study community governance of wildlife, natural resources, and working landscapes. Much of my work focuses on how institutions and the devolution of authority shape the effectiveness and inclusivity of community governance. In turn, my research asks how these processes affect environmental justice, ecological outcomes, and rural development.

I work primarily in Southern and Eastern Africa, where I study community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) programs and other forms of decentralized conservation. One of my central concerns is the gap between community participation and meaningful local authority, particularly the consequences of incomplete devolution for governance performance and the livelihoods of Indigenous peoples and local communities. I have recently begun extending this work to non-state conservation initiatives in the eastern United States.

It is a major priority that my scholarship informs (and is informed by) practice. In my current role with the LifeThroughWildlife Lab at the University of Florida, I co-lead a professional training certificate program for African community managers and CBNRM support organizations. The program includes two online courses that I helped design and a field course on wildlife economy and inclusive governance. Our work has been supported by Science for Nature and People Partnership and GEF’s Fonseca Leadership Program.

Prior to attending the University of Florida, I received an MA in political science from Villanova University and a BA in journalism from Ithaca College in “gorges” Ithaca, NY, America’s finest college town.

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